Country Reviews on Employment Policies in Stability Pact Countries

1. Country Reviews on Employment Policies in Stability Pact Countries Mariàngels Fortuny Employment Strategy Department, Employment Sector International Labour Office, Geneva

2. Background • South East European Ministerial Conference on Employment (Bucharest, October 2003) • Bucharest declaration: • Preparing integration into the EU • Implementing Council of Europe standards in employment matters • Making operational core elements of ILO Global Employment Agenda • ILO and Council of Europerequested to provide guidance and support

3. Employment Ministers approve and update cooperation objectives; Permanent High Level Committee(PHLC) designs and supervises programme of activities • PHLC has set up two working groups • WG 1 under ILO guidance, reviews national employment policies • WG 2 under Council of Europe guidance, reviews performance of employment services • Main objective: guide tripartite constituents in assessing national employment policy • ILO project on promoting gender equality

4. Main activities • In-depth analysis and assessment • Country reviews of employment policy (CREPs) based on National Reports produced by ministries of labour after consultation with the social partners • National Reports submitted to ILO and CoE for assessment. Based on comments a CREP is produced • Bulgaria & Romania have already prepared JAPs: their experience is source of inspiration • Draft CREPs discussed at WG 1 and 2 of PHLC and National Tripartite Conferences and then finalized

5. Organization of Peer Reviews • Countries which do not prepare a CREP in the respective year, prepare an annual national policy report • The two CREP countries and Bulgaria and Romania assess the remaining countries • Peer Reviews take place during the meetings of Working Groups I and II • Capacity building is undertaken • ILO and CoE work with policy makers & social partners • Active role of social partners in design and implementation of employment policies • Peer reviews: mutual learning

6. Technical assistance by the ILO and CoE • Provision of guidelines, advisory services • Report findings and policy conclusions discussed in National Tripartite Conferences • Assistance in reflecting recommendations into policies • Monitoring, evaluation and reporting • PHLC reports at Ministerial Conferences • At end of project ILO will prepare report with policy conclusions, achievements and lessons learned to be discussed at sub-regional conference

7. Progress of the project • CREPs 2004: Albania and Croatia; NTCs took place in the first half 2005 and draft CREPs finalized • PHLC, January 2005, Strasburg, to discuss Albania and Croatia CREP and peer reviews of Moldova (Bulgaria) and Bosnia Herzegovina (Romania). • CREPs 2005: Moldova and Serbia • Mid term Ministerial Conference, Sofia, autumn 2005

8. Albania CREP • First country to commit itself to have its employment policy assessed • CREP highlights main challenges facing Albania regarding the labour market and provides set of recommendations • It aims to contribute to the implementation of, inter alia, ILO Convention No.122 (1964) on Employment Policy as well as implementing ILO Global Employment Agenda • It aims to help preparations for future integration in the EU by converging towards Guidelines of the European Employment Strategy

9. Albania CREP –main conclusions • Despite successful macro indicators, high unemployment, large informal sector, mass emigration… • Call for policy integration: macroeconomic policy for growth and employment • NSSED step forward towards integrating economic and social policies • Activating labour market policies • ALMPs should be carefully targeted • Relevance and quality of ALMPs should be regularly assessed • Avoid gender stereotyping • Involvement of social partners crucial for its success

10. Albania CREP –main conclusions • Improve performance of employment services • Importance of training the staff of employment offices • Tailored services to job seekers should be provided • Need to extend activities to rural areas • Business climate conducive to enterprise development • Sound financial and technical infrastructure to attract FDI • Increase competitiveness of SMEs is crucial: SME Agency is an important development • Further efforts are necessary for shifting informal enterprises into the formal sector

11. Albania CREP –main conclusions • Strengthening social dialogue: key to a well functioning labour market • Need to strengthen role and functioning of tripartite bodies • Adequate social protection system • ALMPs and social protection measures mutually consistent and supportive • Improving data collection • Overall capacity of the statistical system seriously deficient • Labour force surveys should become part of the national statistical system

12. First peer review, second meeting of PHLC, January 2005, Strasbourg • Review of Moldova (Bulgaria) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (Romania) • Basic principles: learning, sharing, strengthening networks and building capacity were satisfied • Wish to establish further bilateral exchanges • Need to improve statistical indicators • Call for policy integration and coordination • Important to tackle employment issues at national and regional levels • Balance flexibility and security